LONDON — Harrods’ womenswear blitz has begun with the opening this week of a “Lingerie and Lounge Universe,” a part of a 200 million pounds-plus, 10-year store-wide refurbishment.

The primary-floor space, which spans roughly 16,000 square feet, is 50 percent larger than the previous one. It offers a broader collection of lingerie, sleep and lounge wear; larger dressing rooms with sympathetic, three-way lighting; and soft-edged interiors by David Collins Studio.

It’s the primary reopening on the womenswear floor, which might be progressively refurbished in a longterm project set to wrap up in 2026.

Some 47 brands are on offer, 14 of that are latest to Harrods. There are also exclusives from bestselling brand Olivia Von Halle and from Aubade’s latest Elie Saab collaboration. La Perla, Skims and Livy are among the many eight brands which have dedicated shop suits.

The offer ranges from Luna Mae couture lingerie to Calvin Klein cotton underwear, while the loungewear area carries labels reminiscent of Charvet, Falke and Leset.

David Collins Studio, which has worked continuously with Harrods over time, has created a luxe space with Art Deco flair in a palette that takes in sage, taupe, cream and burnt orange. There are gold and silver rails and timber parquet floors, while partitions and panels are covered in velvet or moiré silk.

The green tones carry into the dressing rooms, that are especially roomy. They’ve small tables for mobile phones and purses, and special oval-shaped gold hooks for lingerie. A big private suite has been put aside for bridal parties, couture fittings and other special clients. The entire spaces have three light settings meant to mimic morning, afternoon and evening.

Simon Longland, director of shopping for, fashion, said Harrods wanted to reply to how people buy lingerie today, and to make them as comfortable as possible.

“Over recent years, the best way that our customers shop for his or her intimate investment pieces has modified, with lingerie and lounge becoming just as essential a constructing block as every other wardrobe element,” he said.

Longland added that the brand new space goals to supply “something for everybody, and each need.” There are also services reminiscent of offers bra fittings and bespoke alterations.

He said Harrods wanted raise the bar on lingerie shopping.

“I feel stores generally treat lingerie as a ‘category,’ nevertheless it is the inspiration of each outfit. It will not be a commodity. The client’s experience within the lingerie space needs to be consistent, and at the identical level, of whatever category they’re buying. We would have liked to make this space as appropriate for the Harrods customer because it could possibly be,” said Longland.

Harrods wanted the space to be as inviting, and unthreatening, as possible. “It is best to want to return here, to undergo the try-on experience because we’ve elevated it and made it something to enjoy — not a chore,” said Longland.

It has been laid out to make shopping easy, and as discreet as possible. Brands have been grouped by category, and likewise by price point, in order that customers can beeline straight to what they need. The changing rooms are in the back of the space (and don’t open onto the shop floor) with the intention to make the experience as private and stress-free as possible.

Lewis Taylor, design director at David Collins studio, said the aim was to create a “soft and calming environment.”

He added that in the course of the design process “we fastidiously considered the shopper journey at every step, ensuring ease of navigation across product categories and from one lingerie room to the subsequent. Our intention was to create fastidiously considered focal points and sightlines across the rooms while ensuring the patron felt protected, with a certain level of privacy.”

Two more womenswear rooms are set for redevelopment this yr, and an additional 4 might be revamped in 2024 the identical yr that Harrods marks its 175^th anniversary.

The shop has said that its goal is to raise the retail experience, and to match what the posh brands offer at their standalone stores.

Harrods has actually had a closeup view. Over the past 12 months the Knightsbridge store has hosted two major brand takeovers, the gingerbread-themed Fabulous World of Dior and Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama: Infinite Possibility.

It has also staged popups for Fendace, the collaboration between Fendi and Versace, and for Celine and Loewe. The Prada Caffè, meanwhile, has taken over the shop’s ground floor restaurant space on Hans Crescent.